Illuminating control means



July 22, 1969 J. G. FONTAINE ILLUMINATING CONTROL MEANS Filed Oct. 19,1966 I N V EN '1 ()R. JOHN G. FONTAINE ATTORNEY United States Patent IUS. Cl. 315209 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus forintermittently illuminating panels of a display unit and forintermittently energizing a drive for shifting panels thereof. Theapparatus includes an inverter circuit energizing a gas-filledilluminator tube to illuminate the panels, a first cam-operated switchfor intermittently energizing a drive motor to shift the panels, and asecond cam-operated switch to intermittently energize the illuminatortube in synchronism with the operation of the drive motor so that theilluminator tube is energized only when the drive motor is de-energized.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to an arrangementespecially adapted for employment in a changeable exhibitor or displayunit and more particularly of the type disclosed in my co-pendingapplication for patent Ser. No. 470,359, filed July 8, 1965, now PatentNo. 3,336,675.

The idea of this invention is to provide an improved lighting system forthe device of my co-pending application above noted, the improvementsbeing:

(A) Turns on and off instantly between changes.

(B) It will handle a great variation of DC voltage without malfunction.

(C) It will provide a light for many years without losing itsbrilliancy.

(D) It will withstand vibration consistently for years because itcontains no filaments and the apparatus of this invention isspecifically designed for moving vehicles.

In said application above identified, there is disclosed endlessconveyor belts which support transluscent, flexible display panels whichare conducted by the belts in timed sequence to a sight opening that isformed in the cover of a casing in which the apparatus is contained.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I havedevised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularlyset forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a circuit embodiedin the invention and wherein a diagram illustrating how the lightingmeans can be combined with an arrangement of timing switches, motor andother components.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the circuitherein disclosed includes a push button switch 34 and a toggle switchwhich, when in closed position, permits current to flow from a source 30of DC. current, which might be a battery, to a micro-switch shown at 11.A driving cam is shown at 12, the same being rotated through drivingmeans from a motor shown at 13, the motor being electrically connectedto the power source 30 through the leads 35 and 36, the push buttonswitch 34 being incorporated in the lead 36 as shown. The motor 13 isoperative to intermittently drive the conveyor belts that carry thedisplay panels.

When the driving cam 12 is in the position shown, the contact element 14of the micro-switch 11 establishes connection with point 15 of theswitch thereby causing the transistor shown at 16 or the transistorshown at 17 to begin conducting and blocking the opposing transistor.

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The conducting transistor remains in a conducting state until thefrequency determining characteristics of the circuit act to switch offone of the transistors and switch on the other transistor.

When the inverter, composed of the transistors and associatedcomponents, is switching at the designed frequency, alternating pulsesof current are switched through the primary winding of the transformer18. This alternating switching of current in the primary winding 4, 5 ofthe transformer 18 induces an alternating current and voltage in thesecondary winding 19 of the transformer 18.

This stepped up voltage and current is applied to the load elementsfixed resistor 20, load ballast resistor 21 and the gaseous illuminator22. The stepped up voltage must be of a value to cause the ionization ofthe gases in the illuminator 22. The load ballast resistor 21 isconnected in series with the gaseous illuminator 22 and provides anyadditional load resistance required to properly match the total load tothe secondary winding 19 of the transformer 18. The fixed resistor 20acts as a protective load to the inverter system should the gaseousilluminator 22 or the load ballast resistor 21 become open circuited,and the output may be shorted at any time without damage to thecomponents. The inverter and load elements are described and claimed inmy Patent 3,395,- 315.

A timer motor is shown at 23, the same driving a timing cam 24 andagainst which a roller 25 on the finger 26 of a micro switch 27 rides.The cam 24 is notched at 28 and when roller 25 drops into the notch 28,contact members 29 and 29a of the switch 27 are closed and thisenergizes the drive motor 13 sufficiently to cause the raised point 31of the cam 12 to pass the roller 32 of the micro switch 11, thusseparating the contact member 14 from the point 15 and de-energizing theinverter circuit.

By means of the apparatus described, a timing arrangement is provided bywhich the illumination of the panels in properly timed relation to theirpositioning at a viewing point is presented. A buffer capacitor 12 isdisposed between the conductors to the transistors 16 and 17.

Windings 18a of the transformer 18 are feedback Windings.

Having thus described embodiments of the invention, it is obvious thatthe same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to coverall structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for intermittently illuminating panels of a display unitand for intermittently energizing a drive for shifting panels thereof,said apparatus including in combination, a source of DC. current, atransformer having primary winding means, secondary winding means andfeedback winding means, a pair of transistors each having an outputportion connected to said primary winding means and a control portionconnected to said feedback winding means, supply means connecting saidsource to said transistors to provide operating voltage for alternateconduction of said transistors to produce alternating voltage in saidprimary and secondary winding means of said transformer, a gas-filledilluminator tube connected to said secondary winding means forenergization by said alternating voltage to illuminate the panels, anelectric drive motor connected to said source for driving the panels toshift the same, first switching means connected between said drive motorand said source to control energization of said drive motor, first cammeans for operating said first switching means, an electric controlmotor connected to said source and coupled to said first cam means todrive said cam means and thereby operate said first switching meansintermittently so that the drive motor is operated intermittently,second switching means to control energization of said illuminator tube,and second cam means driven by said drive motor to operate said secondcam means and thereby intermittently operate said second switching meansin synchronism with said first switching means so that said illuminatortube is energized only when said drive motor is deenergized.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said first and secondcam means are rotary cams.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a manually operatedswitch in said supply means for controlling the activation of saidmotors and said transistors.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,146,406 8/1964 Wilting.

5 FOREIGN PATENTS 847,417 9/1960 Great Britain. 1,204,782 8/1959 France.

JOHN W. HUCKERT, Primary Examiner 10 R. F. POLISSACK, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R.

